Egg package



May 7, 1935- H. M. HlTcHlNs 2,000,284

EGG PACKAGE Filed Feb. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l @EN u@ May 7, 1935 I H. M. HlTcHlNs 2,000,284 0 EGG PACKAGE Filed Feb. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 7, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y EGG PACKAGE Harry M. Hitchins, Minneapolis, Minn. Application February 6, 1932, SerialNo. 591,336

4 claims. (ci. 217-3) v rThis invention relates to a package for eggs and the method of making the same. It has been 4the common practice for some years to 'pack eggs in `wooden or metal crates which usually 5 have two compartments therein, which compartments are of equal size and in which the eggs :are disposed in layers, a cardboard separator v:being disposed at the bottom land top of the eggs .in each compartment and between the various :layers thereof, the eggs in the respective layers being separated by cardboard .members known as .fillers Eggs lare ynow placed in storage in the productive season in immense numbers, and the eggs are withdrawn vfrom storage during the Winter or vunproductive season and vplaced on the market. It has been found that eggs thus placed .in vstorage .packed `in the usualway, lose a considerable amount :of moisture and 'weight during .the 'storage `period and furthermore, acquire an objectionable taste and odor. Furthermore, it is more for-less 'common 'for eggs to vbe broken and in the `ordinary method of packing a few broken eggs in one `layer will be distributed throughout va great portion of the compartment, resulting in Ya. moldy condition and the spoiling of the eggs in 'the entire compartment.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provi-de a ysimple and efficient method and package by means of which the eggs will bekept from' 30 i' .zanyappreciable moisture .amdfweight and Wiilrat the same time `be .kept 'm 'afresh 'and ,pleasant condition `of taste and odor.. Theveggs Y will be fkept Ain good .condition Aand .should some of the-eggs in `any one layer vbe broken, 'the broken eggs will be oloselyicon'ned `and Acannot contaminate the eggs in adjacent layers.

p It lis more specifically an object of the inven- `tion tojprovide 'a package and method of forming lthe same, which package comprises separate sheets 'of air and moisture Aproof paper of a size and shapeto t along the sides -of :an egg compartment, the edges of 'said sheets 4being disposed in overlapping relation, and certain portions `of sheets extending across the bottom of said f compartment. The layers of eggs Vare pla-ced within the `sheets with the fillers and separators therefonand when the -1cornpartmentv is filled, .the tops fofV said sheets are folded over thevtop of the material in the compartment, whereby Iasubstantially waterproof envelope is provided; lPrefer- ,.ably agsheetof paperimpervious to `air and moistureis ,placed-:over the top Vof each layeref eggs in the oompartmenathesame engaging the tops These and other objects and advantagesfof the sheet II.

invention will be .fully set forth inthe following description made in connection with .the accompanying drawings, in which like reference {charvacters refer to similar parts throughout the lseveral views and in whichzf Fig. l is a view partly in plan of a lled crate of eggs with the cover off, and partly in horizontal section, taken substantially on line I -I of Fig.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a sheet of paper used;

Fig. 3` is a plan View of another sheet of paper 10 used; i.

Fig. 4 isa perspective view showing the arrangementof the sheets of paper when placed in `the egg compartment; and

Fig. 5 is a View in vertical section on line 5 5 15 of Fig l, certain par-ts being broken away.

Referring to the drawings, yan egg crate of standard form is shown as Ii), having the vertical sides Illa and the vertical end portions IIlb as vWell `as the bottom Inc, with a dividing partition k IDd. Two compartments are thus formed `in the crate, the same being of the same or equal` size.

In practicing the method of the invention and forming the package thereof, two sheets of air and moisture-proof paper Il such as shown in Fig. 2 are provided. These sheets have the rectangular portions IIa and Hb at the ends anda central square or rectangular portion Ile.y The portions I Ib and I Ic have strips or zones .Hd and I Ie extending along the sides thereof respectively, these portions in Fig. 2 being shown as folded down on the surfaces of portions IIb andvlic. The dotted lines at the sides of Fig. 2 show the strips of the zones I Id and IIe folded out flat so as to lie in the same plane as the remainder lof y The end zone I Ia is folded along aline y-I Ig downward as seen in Fig. 2 and the end zone vI Ib is folded upwardly as shown in Fig. V2 along the line 'I`If. Twoy sheets of air and moistureproof paper I2 such as shown in Fig. 3 are pro- 40 vided. These sheets are of rectangular shapeas shown and are folded into the end zones IiZa which are of equal size and the central zone 12b. One zone Iza is folded along the line I2C in one direction and the other end zone is vfolded along the line IZd in the opposite direction.

When the eggs are to be placed in the compartment "of the crate, the sheets AI I are placedin the compartment as shown in Fig. 4. The portions I Ib are placed on the bottom of the compartment. The portions I Ic extend vertically along opposite sides of the compartment andthe portions I I a'fextend outward over thetop edges ofthe crate. The sheets :I I are quickly placed in the -orate andthe sheets I2 are then placed as shown in Figfl. One 55 separator.

portion I2a extends along the bottom of the compartment, being superposed upon the portions I Ib of the sheets II. The side strips Ild and IIe of the sheet II are folded upwardly at right angles respectively to portions I Ib and I Ic and the portion I2b of sheet I2 extends along Within the side strips Ild and IIe. These side strips IId and IIe thus extend in a vertical plane along opposite sides of the compartment and overlap the outer sides of the portions |2b. It will also be apparent that the side strips I Id and IIe overlap each other at the bottom corners of the compartment.

It will be understood that there is one of the` are. disposed in the compartment, a separator or mape I3 is disposed in the bottom of the compartment within the sheets II and I2 and between the portions I2?) and llc thereof. One common form ofthese separators has cup-like portions I3a formed therein in intersecting rows. One of these may be placed in inverted position at the vbottom of the compartment and another one placed with the concave portion of the cups uppermost, immediately on top of this inverted A filler I4 is then placed on the uppermost separator. These iillers are made of thin cardboard and comprise strips of such cardboard slotted to be connected to form a cellular structure having compartments rectangular in horizontal cross section and open at their upper and lower ends. The eggs I5 are then placed in such compartments to form one layer. A sheet of paper I6 impervious to air and moisture is then l placed over the layer of eggs in engagement with the tops of the eggs. It will be noted that the eggs are placed large end uppermost. Another separator or mape I3 is now placed over the sheet I6, another filler is placed on the separator or mape, and another layer of eggs placed in position. This arrangement is continued until the compartment is filled. A separator I3 is placed over the sheets I6 in the top layer, this `separator being also in inverted position so that the concave portions of the cups fit over the tops of the eggs in the topmost layer. Another separator I3 is then placed at the top of the compartment so that there are thus two separators in opposed relation, both at the top and bottom of the compartment. When the compartment is thus filled, the portions I2a of sheet I2 are folded inwardly and vdownwardly so` as to lie in horizontal position over the top of the topmost separator I3. The end portions IIa of sheets II are then folded inwardly and downwardly so as to overlie the portions I2a. as shown in Fig. l. The portions I2a are of sufficient width to overlap slightly and the portions I la are also of sufficient width to overlap slightly. The sheets II and I2 thus act to form a substantially tight closure about the material in one compartment. The separators I3 cause the sheets I2 to be pressed out against the side strips I Ie and I Id and there is practically no 'chance for leakage of air or moisture from the interior of the compartment wherein eggs are disposed. These sheets I6 also tend to prevent any escape of moisture and any circulation of air.

The present application is an improvement upon the package and method disclosed and claimed in applicants Patent No. 1,792,303, which patent discloses the feature of having a sack made to extend about the layers of the eggs and the sheets of air and moisture proof paper disposed therebetween. It has been found in practice to be quite diiicult to make such a sack. The air and moisture proof paper does not lend itself to the application of adhesive and it was necessary to pass the superposed sheets of paper between hot rollers in order to cause them to adhere. The sack is thus expensive and difficult to make and in placing the eggs in the compartment, the sack was often torn. The materials used in the present method and package are easily and quickly made by any paper manufacturing company and the same can be easily and quickly placed in position in the crate. When in position, they form, as stated, a closure which is for practical purposes substantially air and moisture tight.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and. improved package and method of making the same. The package has been demonstrated in actual practice and found to be quite successful and remarkable in performance. Eggs have been stored and found to have a fresh and unobjectionable taste when used. The amount of shrinkage or evaporation is also quite small. The sheets of paper, as above stated, can be easily and quickly handled'and the packer soon becomes quite rapid and proficient in placing the same in the crate and disposing the eggs as well as the separators and fillers therein. The sheets of paper are much more easily and quickly handled than a paper bag or sack adapted to fit the crate. The package and method thus have a high degree of utility for the purpose intended. x

, It will, of course, be understood thatvarious changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A package for eggs having a compartment rectangular in horizontal and vertical cross section, comprising a lining formed of a pair of sheets of material impervious to air and moisture and having portions extendingover and substantially fitting opposite vertical Walls respec- 'I tively of said compartment and portions extending across the bottom of said compartment between the walls thereof but shorter than the entire dimension across said bottom, a pairl of sheets of similar material having portions extending over and substantially fitting the other vertical walls respectively of said compartment, said latter portions having comparatively narrow flanges along the vertical sides thereof which overlap the first mentioned portions of said first mentioned sheets, said second pair of sheets also having portions extending over the bottom of said compartment between the walls thereof but shorter than the entire dimension across said bottom, said portions of said sheets extending over said bottom overlapping so as to completely cover said bottom and both pairs of sheets having top portions foldable over the top of said compartment so as to completely cover the Same.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said portions of said second pair of sheets which extend over the said bottom also having comparatively narrow anges along their opposite sides which extend vertically and overlap the first mentioned portions of said first mentioned pair of sheets.

3. A package for eggs having a compartment substantially rectangular in horizontal and vertical cross section comprising a lining formed of a pair of sheets of material impervious to air and moisture and having portions extending ovel` and substantially fitting opposite vertical walls respectively of said compartment and portions extending across the bottom of said compartment but shorter than the entire dimension across said bottom, a pair of sheets of similar material having portions extending over and substantiallyi'ltting the other vertical walls respectively of said compartment, said latter portions having comparatively narrow flanges along the vertical sides thereof which overlap the first mentioned portions of said rst mentioned sheets, said second pair of sheets also having portions extending over the bottom of said compartment between the walls thereof but shorter than the entire dimension across said bottom, said portions of said sheets extending over said bottom overlapping so as to completely cover said bottom, layers of egg separating means within said lining adapted to contain eggs, a sheet of material impervious to air and moisture between each layer of said Y egg separating means, both pairs of said sheets having top portions foldable over the top of said compartment s0 as to completely cover the same.

4. A package for eggs comprising a compartment rectangular in horizontal and vertical crosssection, a liner having portions extending over the end and side walls of said compartment, said portions having separate parts at their bottom extending at an angle thereto and partially across the bottom of said compartment between the walls thereof respectively, said parts being proportioned in their dimensions so as to cover the entire area of said bottom and being shorter than the entire dimensions of said bottom, said liner' also having top portions whereby said liner may be drawn upwardly out of said compartment by said top portion with the eggs remaining in said compartment. i f

HARRY M. HITCHINS. 

